How to Grow Thyme – How to Cultivate Thyme – Caring for thyme, watering, lighting, heating and harvesting Thyme is the next topic to consider under gardening care.
Thyme (Thymus species)
Thyme is a decorative addition to an indoor garden, thyme thrives on a sunny windowsill and can be harvested from spring to autumn. Add the leaves to soups, sauces, fish, and meat dishes
How to Grow and Cultivate Thyme
Let see how we can grow and cultivate thyme in a better way
When to buy or sow thyme
Young plants are available all year, but if you buy in winter don’t harvest the leaves until spring when new growth appears. Repot plants with crowded roots into slightly larger containers filled with commercial potting mix, with added sand or perlite.
Light & heat of thyme
Hailing from the Mediterranean, thyme needs a sunny location to succeed; it likes warmth in summer, but keep it in cooler conditions in winter. Increase the ventilation by opening your windows whenever possible. This is a hardy plant that will also be happy year-round on a windowsill outside or a sunny balcony.
RELATED GUIDE: How do you grow eggplant: Best indoor varieties
How to Watering Thyme
Like all Mediterranean herbs, thyme may rot in waterlogged soil. Plant it in a pot with drainage holes to maintain the correct moisture level, and water only when the top of the mix feels dry.
Aftercare for Thyme
Feed every two weeks from spring to early autumn with an all-purpose liquid fertilizer for leafy crops. Repot every year or two in spring in a 3:1 mix of potting mix and sand or perlite.
How do you harvest thyme so it keeps growing?
Harvest a few leaves from each plant at any one time from early spring to late autumn. Although thyme is an evergreen shrub, leave the plant to rest in winter.
Best indoor varieties Buy a selection of thymes to provide a wealth of colourful foliage on a windowsill, as well as leaves for cooking. Some forms, such as lemon thymes, have distinctive aromas, while low-lying creeping types look pretty trailing from wide, shallow containers.
TYPES OF THYME
There are many types or varieties of thyme that you can grow in your garden at home, please find below the types or varieties of thyme.
WILD THYME
(Thymus serpyllum) Grow this thyme, with its highly scented spiky leaves and pink flowers, in a wide, shallow pot, and use the leaves in stews and casseroles. Height & spread: 4 x 12in (10 x 30cm)
CHECKOUT: how to mount orchids: Mount an edible orchid onto the bark
GOLDEN LEMON THYME (Thymus X citriodora) The golden, lemon-scented leaves of this thyme are perfect for chicken and fish recipes. Height & spread: 10 x 10in (25 x 25cm)
VARIEGATED LEMON THYME
(Thymus X citriodora) This thyme has white, variegated leaves that make a beautiful display. The leaves have a refreshing citrus flavour. Height & spread: 4 x 8in (10 x 20cm)
CREEPING RED THYME
(Thymus ‘Coccineus Group’) This mat-forming thyme is ideal for the edge of a big pot with a tall herb, such as sage, in the centre. It produces pink flowers in early summer. Use in meat and fish dishes. Height & spread: 4 x 8in (10 x 20cm)
COMMON THYME
(Thymus vulgaris) This plain green variety is easy to grow, and the traditional flavour of its leaves is ideal for meat and fish dishes. Height & spread: 12 x 12in (30 x 30cm)
‘SILVER POSIE’
(Thymus ‘Silver Posie’) Bushy, creeping thyme, with white-edged grey-green leaves and purple to white flowers in late spring and early summer. Use in bouquets Garni, stuffings, and sauces. Height & spread: 12 x 12in (30 x 30cm)
Boosting flavour
Scatter thyme leaves over roast meats and fish to boost their flavour. Add to bouquets garnish with parsley and bay leaves for casseroles and stews. Sprinkle a little over feta and honey for a Greek-inspired pancake topping.
Mix lemon thyme leaves with olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, seasoning, and a little sugar to make a zesty vinaigrette for vegetables.
Crush thyme leaves with sea salt flakes and sprinkles over potatoes or leafy greens. Thyme is a great partner for chicken or turkey; sprinkle some roughly chopped fresh leaves on top of the bird just before roasting it, or add the leaves to the stuffing mix.
CHECKOUT: Tiny tomatoes, tiny Tim tomatoes -How to grow tiny tomatoes and Tiny Tim tomatoes
Thyme Related Questions
Is it easy to grow thyme?
Easy to grow, little care is needed after the first year of thyme without regular light pruning. Do this after last spring frost, so that the trees do not become woody and brittle.
What is the best way to grow thyme?
Here are the best way to grow thyme for better harvest
How to grow thyme
- Soil: Plant thyme in well-drained soil with an optimal pH between dra.0 to 6.0.
- Sun: You need a growing region with plenty of sunlight.
- Water: Most varieties of thyme are drought-tolerant, so do not irrigate completely until the soil is completely dry.
Can I grow thyme from cuttings?
Cuttings can also be taken in late spring to propagate additional thyme trees. Take your thyme cut to the node of the stem to a point where the leaves are attached. … Remove the lower leaves, then place the cut edge in a container of moist loamy soil or vermiculite or perlite.
How long does thyme take to grow?
14 to 28 days
Thymus vulgaris, common thyme is a shrub-shaped perennial plant. Growing from seed is easy, but germination is slow and takes 14-28 days. It is best to sow indoors in an apartment where the temperature can be kept around 70 °. Thyme seeds are very low, 170,000 per ounce.
Does thyme come back every year?
Most shrubs are perennials in most parts of the United States, meaning they return year after year and usually grow or spread in the area each year. Most of our used cooking herbs are perennials, including ren, oregano and thyme.
Why is my thyme dying?
Below are the reasons why your thyme is dying
Water pressure
Thyme grows well in a slightly dry land. If it is too wet it can develop root rot or mould problems. As the roots become stunted and die in moist soil, so do the leaves. Drought and excessively dry leaves can also cause dieback, although the whole plant usually declines at the same rate.
Is thyme invasive?
I should mention that most mint families will become quite cunning if they are let go. Mint, oregano, pennywort and even thyme will spread through underground runners and can quickly occupy the garden. These can be difficult to remove because the small pieces of roots left behind can turn into hard plants.
How often do you water thyme?
Water the thyme plants to a depth of 1 inch every 10 to 15 days in the summer months. Stop watering in early autumn a few weeks before the first rains. Drought lasts more than two to three weeks only when there is very little rainfall in winter. In this case, 1 inch of water every 10 to 15 days.
Does Thyme spread in the garden?
Thyme, however, is generally less growing, spreading and 6-10 inches long. … If you are trying to cover a large area, the promise of new trees will be around 6 inches. Established thyme trees can be harvested at any time because the smell of the leaves can be retained even after flowering.
Please leave a comment before leaving.